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Layout and Equipment 
of Playgrounds 



Published by 

The Playground and Recreation 
Association of America 

Febrjdary, 1921 









Gift 
im 7 mi 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Chapter Page 

I. General Considerations 5 

II. The Laying Out of the Individual Play- 
ground 14 

III. Discussion of Common Types of Playground 

. Apparatus and Suggestions for Their Use 24 

IV. Home-Made Apparatus 36 

V. The Athletic Field 47 

Appendix 59 



IN preparing this handbook on the layout and 
equipment of playgrounds, the Playground 
and Recreation Association of America has 
attempted to bring together the information 
which has been issued in pamphlets and other 
publications, and to make it available for ready 
use in one handbook. 

Stressing the subject of equipment in this 
manner in no way minimizes the importance of 
leadership. Apparatus does not comprise a play- 
ground ; without leadership, equipment is worse 
than useless. When properly used, however, it 
stimulates desirable motor activities, and pro- 
vides channels for play which are exceedingly 
valuable. For this reason, it is worthy of care- 
ful consideration. 



s 



CHAPTER I 

General Considerations 

OME of the factors having to do with the 
laying out and equipping of a playground 
are as follows : 



Location 

In planning the location of a playground the 
question of the future development of the neigh- 
borhoods — whether industrial or residential — 
should be considered. The sections in which 
there is the most distinct need should be de- 
termined and also the locations which can be 
most easily reached by the greatest number of 
children who should be served by playgrounds. 
They should, many feel, be provided within a 
quarter-mile radius of the homes of the younger 
children. Children from six to twelve will go 
as far as half a mile to the playground. 

Sise 

The size of the playground is usually de- 
termined by the amount of land available, the 
cost, and the number of children to be accom- 
modated. For two hundred and fifty children 
under ten years of age, half an acre will do, if 

[ Five ] 



no more space is available — but two acres is much 
more desirable, and the usual grounds vary be- 
tween these two limits. Some people feel that 
to have three hundred children playing at the 
same time on one acre, allowing one hundred 
forty square feet per child — a space about twelve 
feet square — represents a point of saturation. 

Many communities attempt to secure numer- 
ous grounds for little children — that is, one in 
each neighborhood, sometimes in connection with 
schools. 

For children over ten years of age the .grounds 
need not be so numerous, but must be larger. 
From two to four acres is the minimum, espe- 
cially if baseball is to be played, and ten- to 
twenty-acre grounds, such as are found in the 
park systems of Chicago are most desirable. 

Fencing of Grounds 

Fencing, in the majority of cases, is felt to be 
a necessity. It limits liability for accidents since 
under the ruling of most courts if the gates are 
locked, authorities are not held responsible. It 
reduces problems of discipline and safeguards 
the ground and apparatus. It also gives indi- 
viduaHty to the playground. There are a num- 
ber of different kinds of fences which may ad- 
vantageously be provided — the steel picket fence 
with steel posts set in concrete; the woven-wire 
fence with reinforced concrete or wooden posts 
and a top and bottom rail measuring from six 

[Six] 



to eight feet In length between posts, and the 
evergreen hedge of privet and box shrubs. Play- 
ground fences average between four and eight 
feet in height. The appearance of any fence 
will be greatly improved if it is covered with 
honeysuckle, flowering vines or rambler roses. 

Surfacing 

The problem of surfacing is one which causes 
a great deal of difficulty and gives rise to much 
discussion. No surfacing has as yet been devised 
which has proved itself to be ideal or which is 
satisfactory for every ground. Soil conditions 
in the various parts of the country are important 
factors in determining what the surface must be, 
and there is no guarantee whatever that a process 
which has been successful in one city will prove 
satisfactory in another section of the country. 

In planning surfacing the following points 
must be considered : suitability for use, cost, dur- 
ability and maintenance. Playground surfacing 
should be soft and porous, yet firm enough for 
players to run and romp about on without dig- 
ging holes in it when it is wet, and raising 
clouds of dust when it is dry. 

The grading of a playground field will de- 
pend upon a specific problem. If the field is 
going to be used in the winter time, the field 
should be what is known as a depressed field with 
a low point in the center of the field and with a 
number of catch basins to catch the water, these 

[ Seven ] 



catch basins, of course, being connected with 
sewers, or drain pipes. The pitch or grade 
should not be less than six inches for every 
hundred feet. In some play fields the problems 
involved may make it more advantageous to have 
the center of the field the high point and the fall 
toward the outside of the play field. With a 
grade of this kind, the field can scarcely, be used 
for skating purposes, for there will be difficulty 
in flooding such a field. 

Very frequently play fields become soft and 
muddy and continue for some few days in this 
condition because of inadequate and sluggish 
drainage. Water from rainfall must not stand 
on the play fields for any length of time, and 
therefore adequate drainage is imperative. The 
drain pipe leading away from the catch basins 
should never be smaller than six inches and very 
frequently should be eight or ten. 

Grass makes the most desirable surfacing for 
children's play, but oftentirnes it is not prac- 
ticable. Various types of early and late matur- 
ing grasses have been combined for golf courses, 
terraces and much-used lawn surfacing by horti- 
culturists. By mixing grasses of various length 
roots a deep turf is formed and the grasses, com- 
ing to full foliage in rotation keep the sward 
green throughout the season. A Hst of grass 
seed dealers may be secured by writing to the 
Playground and Recreation Association of 
America, 1, Madison Avenue, New York City. 

I Bight 1 



Sometimes oil has been used in an attempt to 
produce a satisfactory surface. Cinder has also 
been tried but is not generally recommended. 
Sandy loam or a mixture of sand and clay makes 
a satisfactory surface in some sections. This 
requires sprinkling with water in dry weather. 

The types of surfacing so far found most suc- 
cessful in Philadelphia and Chicago are quoted 
below : 

In Philadelphia ''the entire plot, with such ex- 
ceptions as were required in each individual case, 
was graded to a sub-grade of ten inches below 
the finished grade. The surface so made was 
carefully, although not accurately, leveled and 
compacted by rolling with a steam-roller of not 
less than five tons in weight. After the soil or 
waste material resulting from this grading was 
disposed of, sufficient cinders were spread 
over the surface to insure, when rolled 
with a heavy roller, a thickness of seven inches. 
The cinders were thoroughly wet before and 
during the rolling process. It was found that 
the rolling could be done in one layer. To this 
surface a layer of stone screenings was added; 
which, having been rolled and brought to the 
surface to the grades given by the surveyor, had 
a thickness of three inches. As in the case of 
the cinders, the stone screenings must be thor- 
oughly wet before and during rolling. This plan, 
recently adopted by the Philadelphia authorities, 
will eliminate the use on the playground surfaces 

[ Nine ] 



of glutrin, tasscoil or similar artificial dressings 
as dust-layers, and will rely on a system of 
sprinkling with water to lay the dust. In order 
to make this method of dust-laying effective the 
playgrounds are piped and arrangements made 
so that sprinkling may be done whenever neces- 
sary." 

In Chicago excavation was carefully made 
with reference to character of subsoil in an 
effort to secure good drainage. If subsoil of 
sticky clay was discovered, cinders twelve inches 
deep were first applied to the excavated surface. 
If a sandy subsoil was discovered, cinders to 
the depth of only four inches were needed. The 
cinders were then rolled and packed. Upon the 
well-rolled cinders was placed a layer of stone 
two inches deep, the stones measuring from one- 
half to one and one-quarter inches in diameter. 
The stone, like the cinders, was then well rolled. 

Upon the stone was placed a layer of yellow 
clay with a sufficient sand content — about 33 
per cent — to rub off somewhat easily when 
thoroughly dry; this was then rolled to a depth 
of about two inches and torpedo sand spread over 
the top. Torpedo sand is a name for crushed 
granite screenings which have passed through 
screens to a size of one-sixteenth to one-eighth 
inch, or fine gravel the same size. 

Because of their expense, these types of sur- 
facing may not be practicable for all communi- 
ties. The method given below, however, is de- 

ITen} 



scribed by one authority as being within the 
reach of any average city: 

If the sub-grade is handled giving the pitch 
desired for the finished grade, and six inches 
of cinders spread over the entire surface, a very 
porous upper surface will result, which in itself 
will seek to draw moisture from the upper sur- 
face. These cinders should be rolled with a 
roller of not less than five tons. This layer of 
cinders should be covered with a three or four- 
inch layer of clay loam; it is usually possible 
to find this particular loam in every section. It 
has more sand than clay in its composition ; it 
somewhat resembles molders' sand. On top of 
this can be spread perhaps a quarter of an inch 
of screened torpedo sand. In the initial con- 
struction of the field, an adequate amount of 
loam is very essential. This surface may be 
treated with oil or calcium chloride if desired. 
It must be borne in mind, however, that if lime 
is used, calcium chloride cannot be used; either 
the oil or calcium chloride acts as a binder, but 
more particularly a dust layer. This top dressing 
of screened torpedo sand is something which 
must be handled as a part of the maintenance, 
adding a part every now and then, depending 
upon the amount of play on the field. If it is 
impossible to go to the expense of sub-grading 
and covering the field with six inches of cinders, 
grading alone with the proper treatment of 
screened torpedo sand will give a good surface 

[ Eleven ] 



for a playground if the ground is of the right 
texture. 

Beautifying the Grounds 

In planning playgrounds for children the ele- 
ment of beauty is too often overlooked. It is 
quite feasible to have trees and flowers which 
will add to the beauty of the grounds and have 
educational and esthetic values for the children. 

If, for example, the entrance to the ground 
is the beginning of a path, a few barberries will 
help keep the children in the path and will put 
at the threshold of the playground a little splash 
of color, which, with berry and leaf, will be 
beautiful all the year round. Instead of posts, 
it will be possible to have pyramidal arbor-vitse 
on either side of the entrances, or morning-glories 
can climb a fine-wire netting and so form an arch 
of beauty inviting entrance to the ground. 

The boundaries of the plot do not need to be 
bare wall or fence. As has been suggested, in 
some instances a hedge in mixed shrub planting 
can take the place of a fence. Disagreeable 
boundaries, such as old sheds, may be screened 
by planting; and a bare wall can be quickly 
clothed with Boston Ivy (Ampelopsis tricws- 
pidata) . 

Close against the buildings there might be 
space for some bright flowers — ^possibly a little 
band of formal gardening could be arranged 
there. It is not necessary, however, to be de- 

[ Tivc'tve ] 



pendent for flowers upon the annuals or peren- 
nials of the formal garden. Among the shrubs 
there may be lilacs, bridal wreath, deutzia, 
dogwood, rhododendrons and a^alias, if they will 
grow, and roses, sumac and hawthorn. Window- 
boxes may well be provided in? gonnection with 
the buildings. 

Shade ; 

On the grounds there should be some trees 
to add beauty and shade. Shade should be pro- 
vided most amply for the little children and for 
the older girls who are unable to endure the 
direct rays of the sun as the boys can. Where 
there is a wading-pool there may be a pergola on 
one side or end, making a shady place where 
mothers can sit. Boys and girls will never seek 
the hottest, sunniest place in town to play, and 
the shade of trees will add greatly to the at- 
tractiveness as well as the beauty of the play- 
ground. ' 



[ Thirteen ] 



CHAPTER II 

The Laying Out of the Individual 
Playground 

BEFORE discussing the problem of laying 
out and suitably equipping the various 
divisions of the individual playground, the 
fact should be emphasized that the most impor- 
tant element of the equipment is a good play- 
leader. An active, enthusiastic leader can make 
a playground without equipment many times as 
attractive as one having costly equipment and a 
poor leader or no leader at all. Space, cost and 
suitability are the factors which must be con- 
sidered in choosing apparatus. It is not neces- 
sary, however, to buy all the apparatus at once. 
It is far better to provide a good leader and a 
minimum equipment of game supplies at the out- 
set and then add apparatus from season to sea- 
son.* 

The relative importance of the various pieces 
of equipment is a matter which has been 
much discussed. One authority suggests the 

*The community athletic kits which are available at reasonable 
cost from the A. J. Reach Co., Philadelphia, Pa., and also from 
A. G. Spalding and Bros., Chicopee, Mass., may be of interest 
in this connection. These kits contain balls, bats, nets and 
other game equipment, packed in a small box which may be 
easily carried from place to place. 

[ Fourteen ] 



following order in providing equipment for a 
playground : 1 ) Wading-pdol and sand court ; 
2) Traveling rings for both boys and girls, and 
for boys a teeter ladder, climbing poles, sliding 
poles, horizontal bar, horizontal ladder, flying 
rings; 3) giant strides; 4) swings; 5) teeters; 
6) slide. Another authority has suggested that 
in the development of a playground, swings, 
teeters and a sand-box be supplied the first year, 
adding the wading-pool, shelter-house and drink- 
ing fountains, if possible; for the second year, 
he suggests slides and giant strides and the wad- 
ing-pool, shelter-house and drinking fountains, 
if they have not been previously provided ; and 
for the third year's purchase he recommends the 
outdoor gymnasium. Suggested plans for laying 
out playgrounds may be found in the appendix. 

The Three-Part Division 

The best division of playgrounds is felt to be 
the so-called three-part division — one part for 
boys and girls under ten years of age, one for 
boys over ten, and one for girls over ten. A 
row of good shade, trees between the children's 
and the girls' playground is suggested as a suit- 
able line of demarcation between the two sec- 
tions. It is possible to provide play spaces on a 
basis of attendance records, activities and ages. 
As a general rule boys require a greater amount 
of space than either little children or girls be- 
cause of their activities. Small children should, 

[ Fifteen ] 



in all probability, be considered next, as they 
are likely to come to the playground in greater 
numbers than the older girls. A good arrange- 
ment, some authorities think, is to give one-half 
of the area to the boys and the other half to the 
older girls and small children, dividing the area 
between the small children and girls according 
to attendance records and the development of 
activities among the older girls. 

The Small Children's Playground 

The play space for small children should be 
in some secluded corner, out of the way of stray 
balls, where the children will not be disturbed 
by the older ones. Equipment for a small chil- 
dren's playground generally consists of sand- 
boxes, swings, including hammock or chair- 
swings, for the youngest children, slides, see- 
saws and a wading-pool. It is best to have the 
sandboxes in the shade under or around a tree 
or alongside a building. Pails, with eyes for 
handles set below the rim, and flat-handled, 
galvanized-iron spoons, to be used as shovels, 
are valuable additions to the. sandbox. Blocks 
are often provided in connection with the sand 
play. 

Oftentimes a circular wading-pool is sur- 
rounded by a sand court and covered with a 
pergola extending on the southern semi-circle. 
By this means, every part of the sand court is 
exposed to sunlight at some hour of the day. 

[ Sixteen ] 



Seats should be provided under the pergola for 
mothers. When there are trees affording 
sufficient shade the pergola may be discarded in 
favor of a pool located where the trees shade the 
sand court. If there are no trees, shelters and 
rolling canvas av^mings should be directly over 
the sand piles and equipment for quiet games. A 
separate arbor of vines in the form of a play- 
house and quiet hour spot is suggested as a 
valuable addition to the other equipment. Kudsu 
is probably the most rapidly-grovv^ing vine, though 
Virginia creeper grows very rapidly and is 
hardy nearly everywhere. 

Swings are usually placed in a secluded corner, 
which is sometimes fenced off, thus avoiding 
the danger of children being hit while playing 
games. 

Playground for Larger Girls 

This area should be totally enclosed with 
shrubbery so that the girls may feel perfectly 
secure from any sort of intrusion. 

The usual apparatus selected for the larger 
girls' area consists of swings, see-saws, slides, 
giant strides and traveling-rings. Some authori- 
ties add to the above climbing-poles, horizontal 
bars and ladder, flying-rings, jumping-standards 
and a vaulting-horse. Such apparatus is helpful 
in muscle-building, but should be used under the 
direction of a competent instructor. In addition 
to whatever other apparatus is provided, an 

[ Seventeen ] 



ample supply of balls, bats, nets, goals, quoits, 
ring-toss and other similar apparatus for games 
and plays should be supplied. 

All heavy apparatus should be arranged along 
the border, leaving the center for group and 
team games, folk-dancing and similar activities. 
If the apparatus is placed about ten feet from 
the edge of the lot, there will be room for a grass 
border and for a few benches. Swings should be 
placed far enough away from the fence so that 
the children will not strike it when swinging. 
The corner is one of the best places for the giant 
stride, as it is then out of the way and no space 
is wasted. 

One authority suggests providing a wooden 
platform for dancing and games. It should occa- 
sionally be treated with raw linseed oil applied 
hot. A graphophone for teaching folk dancing 
is also a desirable asset. 

The only equipment which is absolutely neces- 
sary for the game of handball is a fairly high 
wall and a ball. The side of a building will do 
for the wall. Oftentimes a flooring of white pine, 
well supported by beams closely laid, is provided. 
This game is suitable for either boys or girls 
and has increased greatly in popularity during 
recent years. A volley ball court should be laid 
out on the girls' playground. Although there is 
some discussion as to the value of the game of 
basketball for girls, where there is adequate 
supervision it is generally felt that a basketball 

[ Eighteen ] 



court should also be provided. The long dimen- 
sions of such courts should run north and south. 

The volley hall court should be outlined by dis- 
tinct lines at least two inches wide. The maxi- 
mum dimensions are sixty feet by thirty feet. 
A smaller court is permissible and desirable for 
young players. Side and end lines must be three 
feet from any obstruction. A net two feet wide 
is stretched taut across the center with the upper 
edge seven and one-half or eight feet from the 
ground. Special fixtures for holding the net 
and combination volley ball and tennis 
posts and space have worked well in some cases. 

The line game of basketball is not as strenuous 
as the regular game and therefore is more suit- 
able for girls. 

The basketball {line game) court is 100 feet 
by sixty feet. At a third of the distance from 
each end is drawn a field line parallel to the end 
lines, thus forming the home, center and guard 
sections. If the court is less than 2,500 square 
feet in area it may be divided in two equal sec- 
tions. A goal is placed in the center of each 
end line. This consists of an iron ring eighteen 
inches in diameter, to which is hung a net, open 
at the bottom, the rim being ten feet above the 
ground. If the basket is not placed on a wall or 
building, there should be a backstop six feet wide 
and four feet high extending three feet above 
the basket with the rim of the basket six inches 
in front of the backstop. The free throw line 

[ Nineteen ] 



is drawn fifteen feet in front of each goal 
parallel to the end line. The free throw lane 
is six feet wide and is formed by lines starting 
from the end line three feet on each side of its 
center and extending twelve feet toward the cen- 
ter of the court. At the inner ends they inter- 
sect the arc of a circle with a six-foot radius, 
the center of which is the center of the free 
throw line. The center circle is drawn with a 
one-foot radius in the exact center of the field. 

Playground for the Larger Boys 

The usual apparatus selected for the boys' area 
is much like that for the larger girls, consisting 
of slides, swings, see-saws, giant strides and 
traveling-rings, and such apparatus for games 
and plays as balls, bats, nets, goals and quoits. 
Besides these, many authorities recommend the 
outdoor gymnasium, with flying-rings, climbing- 
ropes and poles, slanting and vertical ladders and 
horizontal bars, and also apparatus to supply the 
boys' athletic needs, such as vaulting standards 
and poles, high- jump standards and crossbars, 
shot-put rings and hurdles to be used upon the 
running track. Space and money will, of course, 
determine somewhat the amount of such equip- 
ment which can be provided. 

Above all, ample room should be left for 
group and team games. The arrangement of 
apparatus around the border suggested for the 
girls' area applies equally well to the boys', leav- 

[ Twenty ] 



ing room for such games in the center. Usually 
there is sufficient space for laying out volleyball 
and basketball courts. The regular basketball 
court is much like that for the line game de- 
scribed above. The ideal size court for this game 
is smaller, however, measuring seventy feet by 
fifty feet. Sixty feet by thirty-five feet consti- 
tutes the minimum size. Many playgrounds are 
not large enough to allow for a regulation base- 
ball field, but if only younger boys are to use it, 
a diamond with sixty-foot base-lines may be laid 
out. A soft ball should be used for this game, 
instead of the regular hard baseball, and in no 
case should activities be carried on in line with 
a batted ball. If, because of lack of space, it is 
necessary to play basketball or volleyball on the 
baseball diamond, removable posts should be 
used. In this case fixed sockets with some sys- 
tem of caps should be built in flush with the 
ground to hold the posts upright. 

If possible, it is well to provide a jumping-pit 
and a straightaway running-path, fifty to 100 
yards in length, for the boys' area. 

In some cases it is possible to lay out an ath- 
letic field adjacent to the playground, providing 
a regulation baseball diamond, circular running- 
track, tennis courts and other athletic facilities. 
Suggestions for laying out such fields are given 
in Chapter V. 

[ Twenty-one ] 



Toilets 

Unless the playground is immediately adjacent 
to a school or other buildings with available toilet 
facilities, toilet-rooms should be provided. These 
should be well ventilated and of perfectly sani- 
tary construction and equipment. 

Drinking Water 

Drinking water should be supplied by means 
of sanitary drinking fountains. 

Shelter Buildings 

Shelter buildings of pavilion-like nature, ca- 
pable of holding many people in time of sudden 
rainstorms, are most desirable. These buildings 
may contain offices and storerooms, lockers, 
toilets and shower-baths and oftentimes an in- 
door game-room. The office should be so ar- 
ranged that a director whose duties call him to 
the office may still keep an eye on the playground. 
Buildings are most advantageously placed on the 
dividing line between the boys' and girls' sections 
or in the corner of the ground, thus leaving the 
maximum amount of space for games. 

Accessories 

The playground should be provided with a 
flagpole which will fly not only the American 
flag but also a distinct playground flag. Bulletin- 
boards should be placed at the entrance of all 
play spaces, upon which may be placed rules and 

[ Twenty-two ] 



announcements. A first-aid equipment should be 
accessible at all times. A repair kit will be found 
of value for mending balls. In some cases the 
balls and equipment are mended through the 
organized effort of the children attending the 
playground. In large areas water-taps should be 
placed at regular intervals, so that a hose may 
be attached for sprinkling all parts of the play- 
ground in dry weather. 

Lighting 

To secure its maximum use, the playground 
should be well lighted at night. Electric light 
wires should be carried underground, as those 
carried overhead interfere with activities and are 
more dangerous. 



[ Tzventy-three J 



CHAPTER III 

Discussion of Common Types of Play- 
ground Apparatus and Sugges- 
tions for Their Use 

THE following material, which brings to- 
gether the opinions of many men experi- 
enced in playground work, in regard to the 
selection, care and use of various pieces of appa- 
ratus, will be helpful to committees and Boards 
which contemplate the laying out and equipping 
of playgrounds : 

The Sand-Bin 

The sand bin, sand box or sand garden, as it 
is sometimes called, is of primary importance 
for the small children's playground. Good di- 
mensions for this bin are twelve by sixteen or 
twenty feet, with the sand bed eighteen inches 
deep, enclosed on four sides by either cement 
or plank walls twelve to fourteen inches high. 
It is sometimes made collapsible with malleable- 
iron side and corner fittings. The sand should 
not be placed upon a clay surface, but upon some 
porous surface, so that water may seep through. 
Excavation made to a three- foot level and filled 
in with loose cinders will provide drainage when 
the sand is watered. If it is enclosed in a cement 

[ Twenty-four ] 



court with a cement bottom, a drainage system 
should be supplied. Wherever possible beach 
sand should be used, and every effort should be 
made to keep it in, not only a sanitary condition, 
but a condition which invites sand play and 
modeling. It should be raked thoroughly every 
day, turned over and exposed to the sun and air, 
washed with water and kept moist, so that it will 
pack readily. Sprinkling with a thin solution of 
bichloride of mercury will insure against fleas. 
The sand should be changed at least twice a sea- 
son. Where used by large numbers of children 
it should be changed as often as once a month. 
The old sand can usually be used to advantage 
under the apparatus and in filHng in the jumping- 
pit. It is suggested by one authority that there be 
two sets of sand bins used alternately by the week. 
When one set is in use the other may be purified. 
If possible, it is well to have, besides the large 
sand pile, a number of smaller ones, say five 
feet by five feet, which can be given to individual 
children by the week, day or hour. One sand 
pile should be kept dry for the very small chil- 
dren who like to bury themselves in the warm, 
dry sand. There may well be a wide board or 
plank running around the top for use as a seat 
and for moulding the sand. 

The Wading-Pool 

Wading-pools may be made by excavating a 
specified area, constructing a cement basin and 

[ Tzventy-five ] 



placing at the lowest point a drain that may be 
opened and closed at will. At the same point 
bring in a supply water pipe, letting the same 
extend a little higher than the grade line of 
the playground. A sand trap is necessary to 
prevent the clogging of drain pipes. 

Such pools are usually circular in form, about 
forty or fifty feet across with water five inches 
deep at the edge and eighteen inches deep in 
the centre. The thickness of the concrete walls 
will depend somewhat on the climate. Southern 
pools need no more than four inches ; northern 
climates demand heavier construction and re- 
inforcement. The top of the side walls should 
slope outward so rain and drippings will drain 
away from the pool. Although considerably 
used the circular pool is apt to be more expensive 
than the straight-line shape because of the diffi- 
culty in making concrete forms. A hexagonal 
pool with three south faces developed with sand- 
court and pergola is suggested as having all the 
advantages of the semi-circle as to shade, with 
much lower cost of construction. 

The water should be let out of the pool every 
few days and the empty pool permitted to bake 
in the sun. These pools should be used only 
for paddling and wading and not for swimming. 

The Slide 

The slide, which is now found universally on 
children's playgrounds, consists of three parts — 

[ Twenty -six ] 



the chute, the stairway and the supporting struc- 
ture. It is felt that stairways are better than 
incHnes for slides and that slides should be con- 
structed in one piece. A waist-high railing under 
which the child swings to get his position on the 
slide prevents accidents and forces users to the 
proper position at the start of their decent. 
Slides may be built of either maple or steel. If 
maple is used — and many consider it more satis- 
factory — it should be waxed occasionally. The 
maple slats should be slightly beveled at the edges 
and be set about one-sixteenth of an inch apart 
to allow rain to run off readily and to provide 
for the expansion of the wood when wet. Slides 
of steel and wood may be purchased in various 
sizes. The slide made of three-sixteenths inch 
steel is suggested as giving good service. A slide 
six feet high and two feet broad is large enough 
for the small children. A ten-foot slide may be 
selected for the older girls and a twelve-foot slide 
for the older boys. It has been said that cost, 
maintenance, safety, order and service argue in 
favor of the low and short slide in preference 
to the high and long one. Children should not 
be allowed to slide down in a standing position 
or to walk or crawl up the chute. 

The Swing 

Hammock swings are sometimes provided for 
babies brought to the playgrounds by their 
mothers. Chair swings are enjoyed by children 

[ Twenty-seven ] 



between the ages of three and six. The older 
children should not be allowed to use them. 

The most serviceable swings for older children 
are those having steel framework or a frarne 
made of ordinary gas pipe. Three-inch medium 
pipe, with three-and-one-half-inch horizontals, 
may be used, or two-inch uprights and two-and- 
one-half-inch horizontals, if extra-heavy pipe is 
used. The uprights should be set four feet in 
concrete. Frames are constructed in such a way 
as to have two to eight swings, according to their 
length. 

For the small children's playground the swings 
probably ought not to be more than eight or ten 
feet high. About three and one-half feet will 
be required for each swing. For the older boys 
and girls twelve to fourteen feet is a good height. 
Such swings will require about four feet each. 

Two precautions should be taken in building 
or purchasing swings. The collar about the pipe, 
which holds the rope or chain, should be so made 
that it will grip like a vise, as it has to bear the 
strain of the swinging. The hook that holds the 
chain or rope should be made of tempered steel, 
which is both hard and tough, in order to prevent 
its wearing through. The friction is often re- 
duced considerably by having the swing work on 
ball-bearings. All hooks and rings should be 
greased once a week with axle grease. 

The swings may be suspended by rope or steel 
chain. If of rope, and many feel this to be better 

[ Tztrenty-eight ] 



than the chain, hemp will be found more prac- 
ticable than manila, which must be shrunk before 
using. Russian boat rope is very serviceable, but 
difficult to secure at present. The steel chain 
generally chosen is that with links about a foot 
long. Swings with ball-bearings and steel links 
may be chained to the uprights. Rope swings 
are usually hung on hooks and taken in at night. 

The swing board should be as light and soft 
as possible and only a little longer than the width 
of the child. Hard maple or soft pine may 
be used. A board seat, without projecting 
bolts and nuts, with the edge, front and back 
covered with rubber hose (screwed on), will 
reduce accidents to a minimum. The approved 
method of attaching the board to the rope or 
chain is to have a clamp go around it, terminating 
with a stirrup strap and eyelet of steel in which 
the rope or chain is fastened. 

To prevent holes made by the children's feet 
underneath the swings a board or cement floor 
about three feet wide is sometimes constructed. 
Woodblock construction has also been used for 
this purpose with good results. To avoid acci- 
dents, two children should not be allowed to 
occupy one swing-seat. Pushing and running 
under the swing and pushing by holding on to 
the feet of those who are swinging should be 
prohibited. 

[ Tiventy-nin^l 



The See-Sazv 

Everyone is familiar with the see-saw as a 
piece of play apparatus. The longer the see- 
saw board and the lower the standard the safer 
it is. See-saws are often constructed with safety 
bumpers, which keep the lower end six or eight 
inches off the ground and help to prevent any 
squeezing or pinching of limbs. It is best to use 
the see-saws with handles so that the children 
may have something to hold on to. It is sug- 
gested that by making one's own see-saw boards, 
freight may be saved and a reserve replacement 
supply kept. A clause may be included in the 
specifications sent to manufacturers for bids, pro- 
viding that only necessary hardware and fittings 
be provided, with blue-prints, specifying type of 
board to be used. Children should not be allowed 
to stand on the end of the see-saw or to work 
it alone from the middle. 

The Giant Stride 

The giant stride consists of a tall pole, its total 
length being from fourteen to twenty feet. It is 
usually made of steel pipe about five inches, in 
diameter and set about four or five feet in con- 
crete. The head is set on the top of this pipe 
with ball-bearings, and attached to this revolving 
head are six rope or chain ladders which have 
three or four short rungs. The rope ladder is 
more pleasant to hold on to, but the steel ladder 
lasts longer. If steel ladders are used, filling the 

[ Thirty ] 



upright pipe with material to deaden the sound 
of the chain knocking against it is a great 
improvement. The most common method of lock- 
ing the stride is to chain the ladders to the post. 
Children should not be allowed to push anyone 
around, take a twist or tie the ropes together. 
They should be taught, also, to dodge out of the 
way as soon as they drop off the stride to prevent 
their being hit. 

Athletic Equipment 

A hard baseball cannot be used on an ordinary 
playground where other games must necessarily 
be carried on at the same time. The handball, 
volleyball, indoor baseball and the outer-seam 
soccer ball are probably the only types of balls 
necessary for the games generally played on the 
playground. The soccer ball may be used for 
basketball, football, dodgeball and captainball. 

For prolonging the life of certain types of 
athletic equipment the following suggestions are 
given : 

Inflated Balls — Find the spot where the ball 
has been sealed, which is usually a hard piece of 
rubber on the inside and can be found by pinch- 
ing the ball. By inserting a hypodermic needle 
into the end of an air bulb and forcing the needle 
through this rubber, which the manufacturer has 
used to seal the ball, enough air can be forced 
into the ball to make it better than new. After 
removing the needle, pinch the rubber seal to- 

[ Thirty-one ] 



gether, which again seals the hole made by the 
needle. In this way balls may be made to serve 
until the rubber cracks or splits. Rubber balls 
may be treated in this manner. 

Basketballs, Soccerhalls and Volleyballs — 
When a new basketball, soccerball or volleyball 
begins to rip in the seams have a harness-man 
handsew the entire ball. Use waxed linen cords 
for this. It may be done with either the outside 
or inner seam ball. After a ball gives way at 
one point it is not long before it gives way at 
another, and in the end more is spent than it costs 
to have it all handsewed when the first rip ap- 
pears. The length of life of such balls can be 
considerably prolonged by treating the cover 
with Neatsfoot oil before putting in use, or 
whenever the leather shows signs of chafing or 
drying out. One authority gives the following 
suggestions for lacing balls : 

Ball Laces — Many leather laces are ruined be- 
cause they are not properly laced into the ball 
when new. Never tie knots in a leather lace. 
Before inserting the lace into the ball cut a slit 
in the wide end of the lace just long enough to 
pass the other end through. Lace through the 
end hole, so that this slit comes underneath the 
flap. Then pass the needle end of the lace through 
this slit and pull tight. This method insures a 
proper start for lacing the ball, and also will 
never pull out as a knot will, and caniiot slip 
through the eyelet. Such a lace can easily be 

[ Thirty-two ] 



removed at will. Round shoelaces answer as a 
lace for canvas basketballs and volleyballs. Belt- 
lacings split into the proper widths and lengths 
are the best for basketballs and soccer footballs. 

Jump-Ropes — The life of a jump-rope can be 
prolonged by winding the center or part that 
touches the ground with tire tape. This also 
makes the rope turn easier, as it adds weight to 
the center. 

Hockey-Sticks — Sticks can be made to last a 
good deal longer by winding the neck with tire 
tape. Splintering reduces the length of life of 
the stick. 

Indoor Baseball Bats — In some cases, where 
the throwing of a bat after having hit the ball 
is not only dangerous but noisy, it has been found 
practical to turn down the ends of the bat so 
that a large size rubber crutch tip can be forced 
on. This prevents the bat from slipping out of 
the hand. The handle of the bat should be cov- 
ered with tire tape. 

Contracts for Purchasing Apparatus 

In securing quotations from manufacturers, 

bid forms are of value. A suggested form is 

given in the appendix. 

It is best to always make use of a carefully 

prepared contract in purchasing apparatus. This 

should contain the following items : 

1. When and where delivery shall be made 

and who is to pay for same. 

[ Thirty-three ] 



2. The erection and connecting of all parts of 
the apparatus after it has been delivered. 

3. If cement is used as a foundation or anchor- 
age for apparatus, let the contract state who is 
to be responsible for the excavation and cement 
work. 

4. Insert a clause to cover extra or incidental 
expenses. 

5. Do not fail to include a clause that will 
safeguard you or your community against 
troubles with labor unions. 

6. Let there be a clause of guaranty on the 
part of the manufacturer against defective ma- 
terial, faulty construction and workmanship. 
Make this guaranty cover a period of at least 
three years. 

A list of manufacturers of playground appa- 
ratus, athletic equipment and supplies may be 
secured from the Playground and Recreation 
Association of America, 1 Madison avenue, New 
York City. 

Organising Volunteers 

It is suggested that however elaborate the 
equipment, or ample the funds, all playground 
apparatus should be installed with an instructor 
on the job, enlisting local boys in helping in its 
placement and the labor of getting it into condi- 
tion for use. This voluntary service offers 
opportunity for the instructor to get acquainted, 
and gives the boys a sense of proprietary interest 

[ Thirty-four ] 



in the result. It short-cuts the long and tedious 
development of a sense of ownership, and of 
belonging, by weeks and probably months of 
painstaking effort. 

It is well, also, to co-operate closely with the 
manual training classes of local high schools, 
enlisting them in the making of benches, wands, 
dumb-bells and wooden blocks for the small chil- 
dren's use. These possibilities have been too 
largely overlooked, due more to oversight than 
intention. 



[ Thirty-five ] 



CHAPTER IV 
Home-Made Apparatus 

BECAUSE of the great use to which it is 
put in large cities and the pains which 
must be taken for safety and freedom 
from vulnerable points for lawsuits, playground 
apparatus is usually purchased under contract 
from manufacturers. In small towns or rural 
districts, however, it is often made on the ground 
by a local carpenter. Sometimes the children in 
schools or other institutions having a manual- 
training department construct the equipment for 
their own playground as a part of their work. 

In the construction of all apparatus, however, 
special attention must be given to the friction 
points and all such apparatus as swings, flying- 
rings and traveling-rings should have special 
bearings at these points. Those building theii 
own apparatus may be interested to know- that 
the Narragansett Machine Co. manufactures a 
"rocker-bearing" the A. G. Spalding and Bros, a 
ball-bearing device and W. S. Tothill a bearing 
of hard maple revolving or sliding over an iron 
rod, all of which give good service. 

[ Thirty-six ] 



Baby or Chair-Swings 

The following suggestions are given by one 
playground authority for constructing baby or 
chair-swings : Make two long saw-horses about 
six and one-half or seven feet high, underneath 
measurement, with a wide spread at the base. 
Hang five chair-swings on each horse. Each 
swing is a foot square and one and one-half feet 
from the next sv^^ing. Then put two horses side 
by side just far enough apart so that when oppo- 
site swings are flying they cannot touch one an- 
other. Run cross-pieces over the tops of these 
saw-horses and cover with canvas or cheap un- 
bleached muslin. Of course, have this roof 
project a little beyond the saw-horses to keep 
the sun from striking under. Sash-cord is strong 
enough for the ropes. Hooks that screw in an- 
swer for the top, with horse-rings to hang the 
ropes to. Four pieces, one foot by one inch by 
two inches, form the railings, which are hung on 
ropes the right height above the one- foot-square 
seat. The whole thing is too small for big peo- 
ple to get into, and is easily taken in at night 
without a ladder. It is so cheap that you can 
have twenty or thirty, and they can be easily cov- 
ered with canvas. The sides of the saw-horses 
also project so that it often warns careless little 
people, coming from the sides, against running 
in front of the swings. 

The specifications given below for the con- 
struction of various types of home-made appa- 

[ Thirty-seven ] 



ratus were printed in a rural recreation manual, 
''Neighborhood Play," published by the Youth's 
Companion in co-operation with the United 
States Bureau of Education. 

Materials 

Number 1 spruce or Southern pine is excellent ma- 
terial for most playground apparatus. White ash has 
the advantage of added strength, but it splinters easily. 
White oak should be used for pieces that receive much 
wear — such as swing boards and turning bars. All 
wood should be carefully seasoned, and such parts as 
come in contact with earth should be tarred or treated 
with creosote. 

It is well to saturate the wood thoroughly with boiled 
linseed oil. In any case, it should be finished with two 
coats of good outdoor paint, preferably dark green in 
color, or with one coat of shellac, followed by one coat 
of the best spar varnish. 

Sand Box 

The desire to play in the sand is universal, and for 
little children the sand box or sand table is the piece 
of playground apparatus that brings the largest returns. 
But place it out of the way of stray balls and other 
similar dangers. 

A good size for the box is five feet by ten feet. 
First remove the sod from an area of those dimensions, 
and if the natural drainage is poor, replace the top 
layer of soil with gravel. Procure two boards fifteen 
feet long and eight inches wide, a new nails and a joist, 
two by three inches and eight feet long. Saw the joist 
into pieces two feet long, sharpen the ends and drive 
them into the ground sixteen inches at the points that 
are to be the corners of the box. Nail the boards to 

[ Thirty-eight ] 



the corner posts so as to form the sides and ends ; and 
if you wish, level the tops. 

The apparatus is complete when you have hauled in 
the load of sand, preferably of the grade known to 
dealers as "fine beach." Be sure it is free from stray 
cats and dogs ; it is well to place a woven wire fence 
four feet high about the box. 

To make a sand table, construct one or more boxes, 
eight inches deep, of any desired size, preferably not 
over three by six feet. Build a strong table to support 
the boxes, about twelve inches above the ground. 

Swing 

Ordinarily, a branch of a tree, a rope and a board 
are all that is needed to make a swing; but when the 
tree is not conveniently present make a strong simple 
frame of two posts set in concrete and a crossbar at 
the top. If you tie the rope to the crossbar, or to 
hooks placed in it, the rope will soon wear through. 
A better way is to place eyebolts, two to three inches 
apart, in the crosspiece. Into the eyes insert a two-inch 
galvanized-iron pipe, with holes drilled two inches 
from each end ; place oxbow pins in the holes to hold 
the pipe in place, and tie the rope to the pipe. 

Horizontal Bar 

For the bar itself a galvanized-iron pipe, carefully 
sand-papered, two inches in diameter and six feet long, 
will serve as well as the more expensive and less dura- 
ble wood. Two inches from the end of the pipe drill 
holes five-eighths of an inch in diameter. For the 
supports, use posts four inches square and nine or ten 
feet long. Six inches from one end of each, exactly 
in the centre, bore a hole two inches in diameter. To 
intersect this hole at the centre at right angles, bore 
another one-quarter of an inch in diameter. 

Set the uprights in concrete. Dig holes for them 
[ Thirty-nine ] 



three feet deep, six inches or more square. In a tub, 
or some other convenient receptacle, mix one shovelful 
of Portland cement, two shovelfuls of sand and four 
of coarse gravel or small stones, with enough water to 
make a watery mud pie. When the cement has been 
thoroughly mixed, pour a little of it into the bottom of 
the hole, then put in the upright and pour the rest of 
the cement round it. See that the upright stands plumb 
and leave it undisturbed for forty-eight hours, by which 
time the cement will have hardened. 

In placing the other upright, remember that the hori- 
zontal bar must not belie its name. Probably you will 
have to experiment several times with the depth of the 
foundation layer of concrete before you fix the upright 
at just the right height above the ground to make the 
bar horizontal. Place the post with the large hole 
pointing toward the other post. Pour the concrete as 
before. When it has hardened for forty-eight hours, 
put the bar in place through the holes and bolt it there 
with quarter-inch carriage bolts. You can set both 
posts and the bar the same day; but the slower method 
described above will give better results. 

If you wish a removable crossbar, use a pipe six 
feet six inches long, and arrange the fastening as di- 
rected in the description of the teeter, which follows. 
With the bar removed, the uprights can be used as a 
jumping standard. To hold the string or stick over 
which the contestant jumps, drive three-inch nails one 
inch into the side of the uprights. Always jump from 
the side of the uprights opposite to that in which the 
nails are placed. 

An adjustable bar can be arranged by piercing the 
uprights with as many holes as you want, and fastening 
the bar in place as directed in the description of the 
teeter. 

See that the children who use the bar have a soft 

[ Forty ] 



place in which to land. Sand will save injuries and 
prevent mud puddles from forming. 

Teeter 

A board over a fence or a rock is a teeter, but a 
better one can easily be made. For the uprights get 
two pieces of five by five inch joist five and one-half 
feet long. Four inches from one end of each piece 
bore a two-inch hole. Have ready a piece of galvanized- 
iron, two-inch pipe two feet long, with a cap on one 
end and a three-eighths-inch hole drilled two inches 
from the other for an oxbow pin. You can use another 
bow pin instead of a cap, or can substitute carriage 
bolts for both, or can drill holes through pipe and 
wood and bolt the pipe in place as you do the hori- 
zontal bar ; but the first suggestion is the simplest, 
since it permits the easy removal of the pipe. 

Dig holes, with their centres eighteen inches apart, 
three feet deep, six inches square. Set first one upright, 
then the bar, then the other upright, as directed for 
the horizontal bar. Be sure to allow the concrete suffi- 
cient time to harden. 

The plank should be fourteen feet long two inches 
thick and ten inches wide; to keep it in place upon the 
pipe, bolt to it on the under side two crosspieces of 
hard wood, each two inches square and ten inches long. 
For the carriage bolts that are to hold these crosspieces 
in place, bore four holes, each six feet nine inches 
from each end of the plank and three inches from the 
edge. Pad the ends of the plank, to form a protection 
from sudden jars. 

The teeter is so popular and so liable to abuse that 
the plank should generally be taken in every night; 
and the bar removed when the playground is to be 
closed — officially — for more than a few days. 
[ Forty-one ] 



Giant Stride 

The basis for a cheaply and easily constructed giant 
stride is an old wagon wheel and a pole eighteen feet 
long and five inches in diameter at the small end. In 
almost any village the wheel can be had for the asking, 
and the pole probably can be cut in the woods. 

If you use a wheel with a wooden axle stub, remove 
the axle from the skein, which is the "tapering metal 
sleeve surrounding a wooden axle spindle to protect it 
from wear." Shape the top of the pole to fit into the 
axle skein, and fasten the skein securely in place. 

If you use a wheel with a metal axle, cut off the axle 
about a foot from the hub, and sharpen it to a point. 
Here is where you may have to call upon the black- 
smith. Cut off the spokes four inches from the hub. 
Into the middle of the small end of the pole bore a 
two-inch hole about six inches deep, and drive the axle in 
to it. If the blacksmith is helping you, have him shrink 
an iron collar on the end of the pole, to keep it from 
splitting. It is well to use an all-metal wheel and axle. 

Cut sixty feet of one-inch Manila rope into four 
equal pieces. With copper wire, or by splicing, attach 
the ropes to the hub. Knot them at the bottom, and 
about every two feet for the lower eight feet. After 
it has been hung in the sun and rain until it has 
stretched as much as it will, apply a thin solution of 
pine tar to preserve it. 

Set the pole in concrete, four feet in the ground. 
At that height, the lower knot of the rope should clear 
the ground by about two feet. It is well to place a 
tin or other waterproof cover over the hub, if it is 
exposed. The entire wheel may be used., and the ropes 
tied to the felly ; the result is a lengthened flying stride, 
but an increase in danger 

Working drawings, which will be found helpful in constructing 
apparatus, may be found in "Playground Technique and Play- 
craft," a book by Arthur Leland, published by Doubleday, Page & 
Co.. at $2.50; and in Chapter VIII of "Play and Athletics, 
Bulletin No. 1842," published by the University of Texas, Austin, 
Texas. 

[ Potty -two ] 



Other forms of apparatus which require al- 
most no expense for construction, installation 
or maintenance are the jumping-pit, balancing- 
tree, hillock, climbing-tree and jumping-stairs 
described by Dr. E. H. Arnold. 

Jumping -Pit 

This consists of an excavation ten or more 
feet wide, thirty or more feet long, three or 
more feet deep at one of the narrow sides, run- 
ning from this depth diagonally upward to the 
upper edge at the other narrow end. The sides 
of the pit are made secure by stout planks, prop- 
erly prepared to withstand moisture. The 
ground around is well evened up. The bottom 
of the pit is free from stones and covered with 
at least six inches, if possible more, of good 
sand. In this pit babes may enjoy the sand play. 
Deep jumping from the sides at various heights 
into the sand is enjoyed by the smaller children. 
For broad- jumping, standing and running it is 
excellent. The first attempts at pole-vaulting 
may be made from the edge of this pit. With 
some assistance tumbling may be done from the 
edges into the pit. 

Balancing-Tree 

The balancing-tree is a large and perfectly 
straight tree, fifty or more feet long, freed of 
the bark and rounded off. It is supported by 
two or three wooden feet, one at the extreme 

[ Forty-three ] 



thick end, the other one sufficiently far from 
the thinner end to allow the thin end free play 
to swing. At the thicker end the tree may be 
two and more feet in diameter. It tapers to an 
end of four or six inches in diameter, which is 
free to swing. The tree is so supported that at 
its thicker end its upper edge would be three 
to three and one-half feet from the ground. The 
tree is then placed securely on its feet so that its 
long axle is horizontal. This tree, as its name 
implies, gives a chance for balancing exercises on 
a broad and steady and also on a more and more 
narrow surface, which sways and swings. It 
may be used for deep jumping, for vaults of all 
kinds. In the more solid parts of the tree holes 
may be drilled and pommels may be fastened on 
it; then we have it serve all the purposes of a 
horse or saddle-boom. Children may ride on it 
astride, may swing on the movable part, and 
should in that position find great enjoyment. 

Hillock 

The hillock consists of a small elevation on 
the playground, two to five feet high, from three 
to six feet wide at the base, tapering ofif toward 
the top, well covered with turf. Deep jumping, 
high jumping and hurdling may be done on and 
off and over this. Pole-vaulting may be taught 
from it. This gives opportunity for the much- 
enjoyed frolic, rolling of children. In winter, 
when it is covered with snow, it gives a fine 

[ Forty-four ] 



start for the sled. It invites war games for the 
possession of- the top of it. 

Climbing-Tree 

The climbing-tree is a straight tree no less than 
thirty feet high, made smooth, but not necessarily 
altogether even, securely implanted. Its top is 
protected by a platform sufficiently wide not to 
allow its edge to be grasped by the climber. While 
this apparatus serves climbing primarily, until 
the ingenuity of the child makes it the center 
for other games, it furthers that type of climbing 
which is the normal and natural one, and which 
can be practised only on trees and for which 
the gymnasium climbing-pole gives no chance 
at all. Two of these may be made the end- 
supports of the playground swings. 

Jumping-Stairs 

These are wooden stairs of ordinary construc- 
tion, leading with ten or twelve steps to a height 
of from six to eight feet either to a platform, or, 
better, to stairs of the same type, leading down 
on the other side of the platform. If the sides 
of this are inclosed by boards and a door cut in, 
it may be made the receptacle for playground 
hand apparatus. These stairs are surrounded on 
all four sides with sand of at least six-inch thick- 
ness. Anyone who has ever watched the great 
fondness of children for jumping from stairs 
will know that the installation of this apparatus 

[ Forty-five ] 



is only half completed before the children are 
beginning to make use of it for broad, high and 
deep jumping. It may once more be used to 
start pole-vaulting. Some tumbling may be done 
from it. On the solid side of it targets may 
be painted. The sand around it gives a good 
place for the sand play of small children, but 
also for a free bout of friendly wrestling of boys. 



Leaflet No. 42 issued by the Junior Red Cross, 44 East Twenty- 
third street, New York City, gives helpful suggestions on the con- 
struction of home-made apparatus. 



L Forty-six ] 



CHAPTER V 

The Athletic Field 

General Considerations 

Athletic fields, providing tennis courts, run- 
ning-track, baseball and football grounds, a 
field-house or locker-building, and sometimes a 
swimming-pool, must oftentimes, because of the 
space necessary for their development, be placed 
at a distance from the regular playground. Since 
they are generally used by the older youths and 
adults, they v^ill serve a territory of a mile or 
more in radius and may be located on or near 
main thoroughfares. Five acres constitutes the 
minimum area for such fields. Many will wish 
to make use of the field at night, and arrange- 
ments should therefore be made for lighting. 

Surfacing and Orientation 

Two points which must be given particular 
consideration in laying out ballfields, running- 
tracks and game courts are surfacing and orien- 
tation. The points on surfacing given in Chap- 
ter I hold generally for athletic fields, as well 
as playgrounds. As most games are played in 
the afternoon, and as the low sun is the most 

[ Forty-seven ] 



troublesome, it is best to run the long dimension 
of the field north and south in games like foot- 
ball and tennis, where the playing is up and down 
the area of play. Opinions differ regarding the 
baseball field, and circumstances often make cer- 
tain arrangements necessary. Probably the best 
arrangement, however, is that of having the line 
between home-plate and first-base run north and 
south. 

Marking Courts 

Boundary lines should be plainly marked. 
White-linen tape fastened to the ground with 
wooden pins is often used, but it is not now 
as popular a method of marking as with white- 
wash or wet lime. Dry marks may be mad'e 
with marble dust, slaked lime of a mixture of 
two parts sand and one whiting. Roller-markers 
for making wet or dry marks may be purchased. 
Mr. Paul Williams suggests, in an article on 
the construction of tennis courts, a stencil for 
applying whitewash which may be made in case 
a marker is not available. This consists of two 
light boards about three feet long placed parallel 
to each other with an open space between them 
the width of the line; a handle may be put on 
one end for convenience. With an old broom 
as a brush, the lines may easily be gone oyer 
and fairly good results obtained. A sprinkling 
can with the spout flattened down, leaving only a 

[ porty-eight. ] 



small opening, is sometimes used for a tennis 
marker. 

The Baseball Diamond'^ 

The regular game of baseball with a hard 
ball is played on a level field, preferably not less 
than 325 feet square, in which the "diamond," 
or infield, ninety feet by ninety feet, is outlined 
obliquely to the boundaries of the larger field. 
The "home-plate" is usually made of whitened 
rubber, five-sided, measuring twelve inches along 
the lines of the diamond from the angle, seven- 
teen inches across the front and eight and one- 
half inches from the twelve-inch lines to the for- 
ward line. It should not be closer than ninety 
feet to the grandstand. The first, second and 
third bases measure fifteen inches by fifteen 
inches and run to the right from the "home- 
plate." 

The "batter's box" consists of an oblong en- 
closure, six feet by four feet, drawn six inches 
from the "home-plate" on each side. The 
pitcher's plate is of whitened rubber, twenty-four 
inches by six inches, placed practically in the 
center of the diamond on a gradually sloping 
mound not more than fifteen inches higher than 
the home-plate. The catcher's place is in a tri- 
angle drawn immediately back of the home-plate 



"Description of fields taken from the "Handbook of Athletic 
Games," by Bancroft and Pulvermacher, published by The Mac- 
millan Co., 64 Fifth Ave., New York City. 
[ Forty -nine ] 



by extending the lines of the diamond and con- 
necting them with a line ten feet from the point 
of the plate. 

A high-board or wire fence erected ninety feet 
back of the home-plate serves as a backstop. It 
is suggested that time is saved in amateur games 
by having the backstop about thirty feet from 
the home plate instead of the regulation ninety 
feet. 

The foul lines are made by continuing beyond 
first and third bases to the edge of the playing 
enclosure the lines of the diamond running for- 
ward on either side from the home-plate. The 
*'three-foot" line is drawn parallel to the diamond 
from home to first base for the latter half of 
it and three feet from it. Coachers' lines are 
drawn off first and third bases toward the home- 
plate, fifteen feet from the outline of the dia- 
mond parallel to the four lines. 

Benches for players are placed back of the 
batter fifty feet from the diamond. 

The Football Field 

The football field consists of a rectangle, 360 
feet by 160 feet, called, respectively, side lines 
and end lines. Ten yards inside of each end 
line is drawn a parallel line called the goal line, 
marking off the end zone. At intervals of five 
yards, parallel with these lines, other lines are 
drawn for an aid in judging distances. All lines 
should be very distinct, especially the boundary 

[ Fifty ] 



lines and the end, goal and twenty- and forty- 
yard lines. 

A goal, consisting of two upright posts at 
least twenty feet high and placed eighteen feet 
six inches apart, with a horizontal crossbar ten 
feet from the ground, is placed in the center of 
each of the goal lines. For soccer, the goal posts 
should be twenty-four feet apart, with the cross- 
bars eight feet from the ground. 

The Hockey Field 

Field hockey may be played in the football 
field. It needs a space 150 to 180 feet wide, 
300 feet long and about a thirty-foot additional 
space behind the goal lines. Flags on posts four 
feet high are often put up to mark the corners 
and sides of the field. The field is divided into 
halves by a transverse line and each half divided 
by another transverse line twenty-five yards from 
the goal line. A cross is drawn in the center 
on the half-way line. The striking circle is made 
by drawing a line four yards long fifteen yards 
in front of each goal and parallel with the goal 
lines and connecting the end of this line to the 
goal line, with a quarter circle for which the goal 
post is the center. The goals consist of posts 
seven feet high, two inches broad and three 
inches deep placed twelve feet apart and con- 
nected by a crossbar. Each goal is provided with 
a net for catching the ball. 

[ Fifty-one ] 



The Running-Track 

Local conditions will usually dictate the shape 
and size of a running-track. A track of less than 
a quarter of a mile is not, however, considered 
desirable for important games.* A foundation 
of coarse stones, with six inches of clay, one inch 
of cinders and a top dressing of cinder dust is 
suggested as being dry and springy in wet 
weather and least dirty in dry weather. Con- 
siderable rolling is necessary and use will im- 
prove it. 

In order to save space a circular track is often 
laid out around the ball diamond or football field. 
In that case it should be made without a curb so 
that the space may be played over. The long 
dimension is best arranged north and south. 

With a quarter-mile track the usual width is 
fifteen feet on the curve and twenty feet on the 
straightaway. In laying out the track it should 
be remembered that the length of running-track 
is measured on a line eighteen inches away from 
the inside edge of the inner curb of the track. 
With this in mind drive stakes thirteen and a half 
feet from the outside edge. Measure carefully 
around the course thus marked out by the stakes 
and if it is found to be a few inches longer or 
shorter than a quarter of a mile adjust the stake 



* Satisfactory dimensions for running-tracks for minimum areas 
are as follows: 

4 laps to the mile, center line 267.3 ft. Radii 125 ft. 

5 " " " " " " 135.3 " " 125 " 

6 " " " " " " 116.4 " " 103 " 
8 " " " " " " 15.8 " " 100 " 

[ Fifty-two, ] 



at the north end so as to make it correct, which 
can be done by moving the straightaway a few 
inches north or south. If the straightaway is 
allowed to project beyond the curve of the track 
by a length equal to the length of one curve, the 
440-yard run can be started at the start of the 
straightaway, and finished at the end of the back- 
stretch introducing only one turn into the race. 
Within one end of the track there will be room 
for various "field events" such as the shot-put, 
high jump, broad jump, and pole-vaulting. 
Hammer-throwing should never be allowed with- 
in the track while track events are in progress. 
Running-paths for vaulting and jumping should 
be three feet wide and constructed like the 
running-track. Sand-pits must be provided for 
landing. Mixing sawdust with the sand or clay 
in jumping pits makes a much softer landing 
and also makes it easier to keep the soil loose. 

Tennis Courts 

There are various types of tennis courts, in- 
cluding courts of grass, asphalt, concrete and 
clay. A dirt court, when properly laid out and 
cared for, wears well and probably offers the 
best combination of durability, reasonable con- 
struction cost and upkeep expense. Space de- 
termines the number of courts which may be 
provided. 

Surfacing is here a most important factor as 
there must be no humps or hollows if they can 

E Fifty-three ] 



possibly be avoided. One authority feels that 
for clay courts a pitch of six inches from back 
line to centre is necessary to solve the drainage 
problem. On the tennis courts in Grand Rapids 
a pitch of six inches from the middle to the end 
has been found satisfactory. Mr. Paul 
WiUiams, in his article on tennis court con- 
struction, suggests the following as the usual 
best method of building a dirt court: Cut away 
the earth to the depth of one foot ; level carefully 
and be sure the grade is right. Put in about six 
inches of broken stone, the size of the stone 
ranging from two inches to one inch in diameter. 
Pound down very hard. Put on a three-inch 
layer of finely broken stone or crushed gravel. 
Pound this down and keep well watered for 
several days. Be sure and keep the foundation 
perfectly smooth and level. Now add the top 
dressing which should be from three to six inches 
thick. A mixture of sand and clay may be used 
for this. If the clay is sticky, use one part of 
sand to four of clay. Usually eight of clay to one 
of sand is the right mixture. A very soft court 
needs more clay; a sticky surface needs more 
sand. Water well and roll twice daily for two 
weeks before the court is used. Light raking, 
careful rolling and sprinkling will produce a firm 
surface free from hollows and humps. 

Laying out the court is a simple process 
although it requires accuracy in measurement. A 
clear space sixty feet by one hundred and 

[ Fifty- four ] 



twenty feet is required in order to leave room for 
the runways at the ends and sides. The singles 
court is twenty-seven feet by seventy-eight feet, 
while the doubles court is thirty-six feet wide. 
The net posts should be forty-two feet apart and 
to mark the court it is necessary to square the 
lines by these posts. Drive a stake three feet 
inside each post, these stakes being exactly thirty- 
six feet apart. Lay out one side line seventy- 
eight feet long, passing over one stake which 
comes at the thirty-nine foot mark or half the 
length of the side line. By making the distance 
from each end of the seventy-eight-foot line to 
the opposite stake equal, the side line can be 
squared and the other laid out in the same man- 
ner. It is then simply a matter of measurement 
to put in the service and base lines. The back 
stops should not be set so close to the court as to 
cut down open space. Wire netting carried on 
wood or steel posts is the material generally used 
for backstops. Most courts are marked with lime 
put on wet. Both grass and dirt courts should 
be rolled after being used but it is useless to do 
this until any inequalities in the surface have 
been repaired. This is particularly true with the 
dirt court. After it has been played upon, it 
should be dragged or swept, using a piece of 
scantling to weight down several thicknesses of 
burlap. This brushes out all the little irregu- 
larities and then rolling and sprinkling are in 
order. 

[ Fifty -five ] i. _; 



Bleachers 

The bleachers should be built of wood, in 
sections capable of being carried, so that they 
can be placed around the baseball field, or up 
and down the side lines of the football field. 
-They should be put together with bolts so that 
they can be taken down and stored during the 
winter. The portable bleachers used on the San 
Diego, California, playgrounds, are put up in 
sections— each section holding eighty people. It 
is estimated that two men with a team can take 
twenty bleachers down and put them up again 
in half a day. 

Field House 

There are many different types of field houses 
varying greatly in size and cost. Some contain a 
library, clubrooms, game-rooms, a kitchen, res- 
taurant, gymnasium, running-track and many 
other facilities. The Chicago and Seattle field- 
houses are noted for their beauty and usefulness. 
However, a field-house does not necessarily have 
to be large or expensive. The facilities which 
it should provide are toilets, shower-baths, an 
office, dressing-rooms, a locker-room, and, if pos- 
sible, a recreation room. A comparatively, inex- 
pensive one-story field-house built in Racine, 
Wisconsin, contains a gymnasium, twelve 
shower-baths, toilets for men and women, a read- 
ing-room, kitchen and recreation room. Space 
has been economized by using the recreation 

[ Fifty-six ] 



room as a dressing-room and having a sectional 
movable platform instead of a permanent stage. 
The locker-room contains a few steel lockers, but 
it is also fitted with pigeonholes in which are 
slipped wire baskets. This method has been 
found an economy of space and money. 

The Playground and Recreation Association of 
America, 1 Madison Avenue, New York City, 
will be glad to furnish suggestions for the con- 
struction of such buildings, upon application. 

The Swimming Pool 

The swimming-pool is a playground in itself. 
Because of the number of points which should be 
discussed in considering its construction, full 
space cannot be given to it here. The question 
of size and depth will, of course, be governed 
by local conditions. Outdoor pools are usually 
of concrete and vary from seventy-five to one 
hundred and fifty feet long and from thirty to 
sixty feet wide. A long, narrow pool is prefer- 
able. The depth should not be more than four 
feet at the shallow end nor less than seven feet 
at the deeper end. 

The following points must be given particular 
consideration in building swimming pools : 

The relationship of the pool bottom and the 
sewer level ought to be carefully determined be- 
forehand, so as to avoid the expense of pumps 
for emptying the pool. 

[ Fifty-seven ] 



Provision should be made for filtering and 
sterilizing the water. 

There should be an adequate water supply and 
sufficiently large openings for rapid supply and 
escape in the pool. 

A hose connection should be provided with 
hot and cold water for use in washing the pool. 

Adequate shower-baths and bath-houses should 
be supplied and an office should be provided for 
the swimming instructor. 

Helpful suggestions on the construction and 
care of swimming pools are given in the follow- 
ing pamphlets : 

"Swimming Pools," by V. K. Brown and S. K. 
Nason, price 15c., and "Some Notes on the 
Construction and Administration of Swimming 
Pools," by Joseph E. Raycroft, price 20c. Both 
pamphlets are published by The Playground and 
Recreation Association of America, 1 Madison 
Avenue, New York City. 



Conclusion 

In closing, it may be worth while to point out 
the fact that a fully-equipped playground cannot 
be of any great use unless it is properly main- 
tained. Ample funds should, therefore, be pro- 
vided for upkeep and operation. "To spend a 
great deal of money for playground equipment 
and little for maintenance and operation is like 
saving at the spigot and wasting at the bunghole." 

[ Fifty-eight ] 



APPENDIX 

A suggested form for securing bidstom 
manufacturers of apparatus is given belov^Bid 
forms should specify that the manufalrer 
making quotations will provide any or all qthe 
items, and the requirements should be iteil^ed 
in standard terms and specifications. 

SUGGESTIONS FOR PROPOSAL FORI 

PLAYGROUND APPARATUS 

The undersigned hereby propose to furnish anjlr 
all of the following listed playground apparatus,\s 

described in our Catalogue No. , together 

blue prints and instructions for setting up same, aV 
price named after each item (a) including all pat 
and fittings, but not including pipe for frame, and ( 
at a price named to include parts and fittings togetl 
with all necessary pipe for frames of our stands 
galvanized quality. Prices quoted are guaranteed i 

a period of . Terms, % discount, 

days, and in case entire order is placed with us, the to 

is subject to the following discount . Pric 

quoted are F.O.B. . Should entire order 

placed with us we guarantee freight charges to — 

will not exceed the sum of on t 

entire shipment. Delivery to freight office is guars 

teed to be made within days after receipt 

order : 

A. Travelling Ring Outfits 

Each to consist of outfit described on page — 
of our catalog, chain suspension, six rings. 

Price: (a) without pipe $ each; (b) 

eluding pipe $ each. 

B. Giant Strides 

Each to consist of our standard outfit descri 

[ Fifty -nine ] 



n page of our catalog, chain suspension, 

t least six hand-ladders each. 
?rice : (a) without pipe $ each; (b) in- 
cluding pipe $ each. 

C. :andard Swing Outfits 

Each to consist of our swing described on page 
of our catalog, six swing seats to the out- 
fit, chain suspension. 

Price: (a) without pipe $ each; (b) in- 
cluding pipe $ each. 

DBaby or Box Seat Swing Outfit 

Described in our catalog, page . Eight (8) 

seats, chain suspension. 

Price: (a) without pipe $- • each; (b) in- 
cluding pipe $ each. 

] See-Saw or Teeter Outfits 

Described in our catalog, page . Includ- 
ing all attachments and fittings, but not including 
the boards. Measurements and instructions for 
having the boards made locally to be included in 
blue prints which we agree to provide ; each out- 
fit to consist of attachments and parts for 

boards as listed in our standard equipment. 
Price: (a) without pipe $ each; (b) in- 
cluding pipe $ each. 

Playground Slides 

Described on page of catalog. Each to 

be 16 feet maple bed slide, complete with all 
necessary parts, approach ladder, supports, etc. 
Price $ — - — each. 

Combination Frame for Boys 
Drawing attached hereto showing suggested 
arrangement ; all necessary parts and fittings of 
our standard equipment ; outfit consisting of two 
(2) adjustable teeter ladders ; two (2) horizontal 
bars adjustable height; two (2) climbing poles; 
one (1) slanting ladder and set sliding poles; 
and two sets chain suspension flying rings, one 
high and one low for different aged users. 
Price: (a) without pipe $ ; (b) includ- 
ing pipe $ 

Respectfully submitted 

By 

[ Sixty ] 



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OETAXU OF &yMNA.ilUM Ft<AMt 




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Scale: 1 Inch— 54 Feet 



PLAYGROUND PLAN NO. 1 

Playground and Recreation Association of America 
1 Madison Avenue, New York City 



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PLAYGROUND PLAN NO. 2 

Playground and Recreation Association of America 
1 Madison Avenue, New York City 




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